


Golden Boys (hiatus)

by noir_wing



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Oblivious Jaime, Tutoring, also spanish kink lmao, i tried to go off the prompt, kinky tutoring lmao, slight homophobia, this was supposed to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-10-03
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7269472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noir_wing/pseuds/noir_wing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bart Allen fits in as the popular kid at school. Jaime Reyes, not so much.</p><p>AKA: The one where Jaime tutors Bart in Spanish and Bart wonders why he's even failing this class cause the language sounds hella crash (or maybe that's just Jaime's voice).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What do you mean I’m Failing?!

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to base this off my own high school experience. I just graduated recently and Jaime's place in the school was pretty much my own. I wanted to write a fic where Bart and Jaime start hanging out, wave their gay middle fingers to the system, and end up leaving their legacy in the yearbook for years to come.
> 
> OH YEAH AND THIS HIGH SCHOOL AU TAKES PLACE IN JAIME'S UNIVERSE SO IDK PRETEND EVERYONE LIVES IN EL PASO LMAO

Bart Allen was the golden boy of Rio Grande High School. He was only a sophomore, but everyone already knew that Bart would end up being the valedictorian of his grad class when the time came. Bart excelled in all of his subjects, humbly claiming it was because of his photographic memory. On top of all that, Bart was track team captain, the only male second soprano in school choir, and would probably end up as head of student council by the end of this year, at the rate he was gaining people’s favour. Not only was Bart’s record outstanding, he himself was as well. His bright personality shone through his green eyes and white smile. The brunette could get along with anyone, as he was a complete social butterfly. In Jaime’s eyes, Bart Allen was perfect.

Jaime Reyes, on the other hand, was not the popular guy of Rio Grande High School. Jaime was graduating in a short while; the spring air bringing forward new hopes and dreams. Still, Jaime was the guy whose name people heard at grad events and went, “Who is that?” their questioning whispers filling the air until they saw him. A few eyes would widen with recognition after seeing Jaime, exclaiming, “Oh, that guy! I see him in the library sometimes,” along with, “Wait, he’s in grade twelve?!” Jaime’s personal favourite was, “I’m pretty sure he tutors kids in Spanish a lot.” Yeah, Jaime was an unknown, a drifter, and a nobody; which is why he found Bart so appealing. Bart had accomplished what Jaime had only dreamed of as a freshman. Bart was the guy everyone knew in only two short years. Jaime had had four years and he still couldn’t accomplish such a simple thing.

 

Jaime resented Bart for his popularity. Bart was everything Jaime wanted to be, but never was. Jaime would glower at Bart when he saw him in the hallways or across the library. Stupid Bart Allen with his bright eyes and blinding smile and cute dimples. Jaime’s fingers would angrily crumple the comic books he read in the library during lunch hours. And Bart, well, Bart was completely oblivious. Bart never talked to Jaime, he was just a face in the crowd. Bart really only talked to the people he had classes with or the people in his clubs. However, these kids were all the popular kids, making Bart the centre piece to their cliques. Bart was the guy Megan from choir would come up to, to ask if Conner from track really liked her. Bart was the guy who was just naturally charismatic, and so didn’t see anything weird with his popularity. It wasn’t like he forced himself to be this way, he just was. Bart was also the guy who was currently failing Spanish, which is how Jaime Reyes and Bart Allen, polar opposites on the high school scale, started talking.

 

“What do you mean I’m failing, Ms. Martinez?!” Bart exclaimed, gaping at his brunette Spanish teacher.

“I mean, you’re **failing** , Bart. You can’t just memorize a language. Sure, your test scores are great, but that’s the only thing that is great. Tests are only worth 30%— 30% is oral presentations, 30% is written assignments, and 10% is participation. So, you have 28% from tests, and nothing else! You haven’t handed anything in, you constantly skip class on presentation days, and I can’t even give you a participation mark!”

“But I— I **_can’t_** be failing!”

She sighed, “I know. I didn’t expect you to be. I’ve heard such good things about you, Bart. The staff and students adore you, and I don’t want to be the reason our school doesn’t win track and choir awards because you got pulled off for a bad grade. So, this is what I’m gonna do for you.” She pulled out a large stack of papers and attached a post-it note to the front, writing something on it. “ _That_ is the number of a senior student who tutors a lot of my students in Spanish. He completed his state final exam on the language in grade 9, so he’s absolutely qualified. He’s a native speaker and completely fluent. I want you to give him a call, pick certain days to meet up, and maybe he can help you get through this huge pile of work you have to do, plus fix your horrid pronunciation.”

Bart nodded, grabbing the pile of work thankfully. On his way out the door, he turned back to his teacher and said, “Thank you for the opportunity, Ms. Martinez. I know this isn’t easy on you either.”

“No worries, Bart.”

 

Bart mentally kicked himself for his huge mistake. This was **_so_** not crash. Roy had told him that Spanish was an easy class; that he had barely done anything and passed. Hearing that, Bart slacked off when it came to the class. Big time. Ms. Martinez was right— he didn’t even deserve a participation mark. Bart only went when Conner texted him that there was going to be a test, cramming the night before and acing it on the day of. Otherwise, he’d rather go out with his older friends who could drive than attend another class. Spanish was _so_ boring, too. Bart could never get his tongue to flow with the words and it really sucked he needed the class to graduate. However, he would go through with it and pull through for the track team and choir club. Keeping his good record and not getting grounded would be a plus too.

With all the reason to now pursue the class, Bart grabbed his phone and dialled the number Ms. Martinez gave him. Above the number was a name: _Jaime Reyes_.

“Jay-me Ray-has,” Bart pronounced incorrectly as the phone rang.

“Hello?” a voice sounded on the other line.

“Uh—hi, is this Jay-me Ray-has?” Bart asked nervously.

“ _Jaime Reyes_ ,” the voice corrected him, clearly annoyed.

“Sorry, uhm, Ms. Martinez gave me your number. She said you tutor kids in Spanish.”

“Yeah, I do. What’s your schedule like?”

“I have club meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.”

“Ok, I have work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“So, Monday and Friday,” Bart supplied.

“Weekends fine too, if you really need the extra time and help.”

“I really do, thanks,” Bart admitted sheepishly.

“Okay. I can help you cram before tests and presentations at lunch as well.”

“Got the tests covered, but my pronunciation could use some work.”

“Clearly,” Jaime breathed, amused. “Can I get your name?”

“Bart. Bart Allen.”

The line was silent for a while.

“Uh, hello?”

“Sí, yeah,” Jaime replied, clearing his throat. “Look, you sure you need me as a tutor?”

“Dude, I’m getting 28% in the class. I need all the help I can get!”

“Dios, how does someone even get 28%!”

Bart blushed, “I don’t know! I’m just not good at Spanish.”

“Damn right you’re not good,” Jaime paused, probably realizing that was a bit harsh, “But you will be, hermano. We’ll get your mark up.”

“Thanks, Hi-mee.”

Jaime sighed at Bart’s pronunciation. This was gonna be a lot of work. “We can meet at the public library for now. Today’s too short notice but, tomorrow’s Saturday and I’m free so—“

“Got it! Crash! See you at 12?”

“Okay,” Jaime said somewhat reluctantly before hanging up.

Jaime’s back hit his bed, the sun from the window hitting his eyes. He groaned, covering his chocolate irises. How was Bart Allen, of all people, _failing_ a class? Why the heck did Jaime offer to tutor kids in Spanish for free? Most importantly, how did Bart Allen end up getting tangled up with him?


	2. Then why is it an L?

Jaime woke up at 9am the next day. He scrolled through social media on his phone for an hour before getting up. Today was the day. He'd have to talk to stupid Bart Allen. The kid would probably just get Jaime to do his homework for him. The reasons Jaime agreed to tutor Bart, was he wanted to keep a good relationship with Ms. Martinez, and if everything went horribly wrong, Jaime was graduating in three months anyways, so it wouldn't matter. He'd never have to see Bart again.

Satisfied with his reassurances, Jaime began getting ready. He brushed his teeth and combed his hair, which was starting to get long and spiky. He pulled on blue jeans, a black wife beater, and a grey hoodie. The dog tag necklace he wore all the time, even when sleeping, still hung around his neck. He hopped down the stairs and arrived at the kitchen.

“Buenos días, mi’jito,” his mother greeted him.

“Good morning, mom. Voy a ir a la biblioteca a tutoriar a este chico de mi escuela.”

“Okay, have fun,” she replied.

“I’ll try,” Jaime muttered.

 

Bart was at the library half an hour early. He flipped through the huge pile of worksheets Ms. Martinez had given him. This was gonna be lots of work. He filled in the blanks for words he remembered from tests, but he could not translate sentences for the life of him. His phone buzzed with a text from Jaime. ‘Yo, I’m here,’ it read.

‘I’m just upstairs at the corner table,’ Bart replied.

A few moments passed, during which Bart nervously fidgeted. He had never even heard of Jaime Reyes, and yet here he was, meeting him outside of school. This meet up could go many ways and Bart prayed it wouldn't end up being awkward. “Hi,” a voice sounded from beside him and a backpack was placed on the floor next to him. Bart looked up and _damn_ , that was one attractive male. “H-hey,” he stuttered in reply to the others greeting.

“I’m Jaime.”

“Bart,” he said, still gaping.

Jaime Reyes was one fine specimen. He had high subtle cheekbones and thick brows that framed his chocolate brown eyes. His skin was tan and smooth (clearly he had past his acne phase). Bart had known that he liked boys for a while; he just didn’t like any from his school because they were immature. And damn, Jaime had definitely just confirmed that he was (not so) straight up gay.

“Okay, so what are we working on today?” Jaime said, sitting down.

“Right, uh,” Bart recollected himself, “I did what I know which pretty much cuts out one tenth of the pile. This is the pile by the way. It’s all the shit I need to do for this course.”

Jaime snorted, “Nice.” _Fuck_ , he had a nice laugh. “Kay, lemme look through and make sure you did everything right. In the meantime, read the textbook.”

Silence consumed the air as the two simply breathed and worked. April had just arrived upon them. Bart was happy these days, as the sun shone consistently, allowing for better track meets. Jaime grew worried as his graduation approached and he still hadn’t done much in his high school years. He’d almost accepted the fact that no one at this school would remember him. _Almost_. Two more months were highly unlikely to change anything, though.

“Alright, it looks good. You missed a few accents so I added them for you.”

“Thanks, so I only know that stuff cause I memorized it. Can’t speak the language though; nope, zilch, nada,” Bart rushed.

“Kay, let’s start with basic conversation then,” Jaime said. “Hola, ¿Como te llamas?”

“Buenas tardes, me llamo Bart,” Bart badly pronounced.

Jaime visibly flinched. “Esé, your pronunciation is pretty shit. It’s YA-mo, not LA-mo.”

“Then why is it an L?”

“Because it’s not English! Same writing system, different language.”

“That’s really weird,” Bart whispered, clearly new to this information.

Jaime sighed, “You know, the best thing for you to do to improve your conversation skills is watch some Spanish movies and shows. Kids shows are preferable, because they’re dumbed down. Start with some of those and then work your way up to movies. You’ll pick up on the accent and the language that way.”

“Okay,” Bart muttered, embarrassed. He would watch Spanish shows as soon as he got home, determined to impress Jaime.

“Now, let’s finish those worksheets in the time being. You’re clearly better at grammar than speech, so let’s roll with that.”

 

The two continued tutoring like this for a week. Bart binge watched everything from Dora the Explorer to Latin RomComs at home but for whatever reason, Spanish sounded _so_ much better when Jaime spoke it. He practiced naming things while he was running to school, actually remembering that dog was _el perro,_ and not el doggo. Yeah, Jaime laughed at that one. Bart actually started looking forward to his tutoring sessions a lot. He’d even skipped out on burgers after track because Jaime and him had tutoring, and that was when Cassie Sandsmark knew something was up.

“Bart, you never skip out on food, _especially_ free food,” she said, eyebrow raised. She leaned on the wall outside the locker room, her hair still wet from her shower and track clothes packed away in her gym bag.

“Well, this is important. I promised Jaime and Ms.Martinez I’d show up to these tutoring sessions.”

Cassie hummed suspiciously as she peered at Bart. “Or,” she grinned, “You _like_ him.”

Bart blushed and sputtered, “What?! Yeah, he’s hot, but it’s nothing official yet. Just mild attraction. I’m getting to know him right now so I’m not sure.”

“You know what the best way to get his attention would be?”

“What?”

“Make him think you’re hot too.”

“I’m a scrawny white boy covered in freckles. I cannot compare to that tall, dark, and handsome god,” Bart deadpanned.

“Hey, you may just be his type. Dress nicely and maybe it’ll work out. Confidence is key,” Cassie grinned.

“I’ll try,” Bart muttered. He was already sexually active; he shouldn’t be this much of a mess in front of a guy. Yet, here he was obsessing over someone just because they were attractive. Bart sighed. He would try his best to impress Jaime, but he didn’t feel any pressure towards their relationship. Be it friends, boyfriends, or friends with benefits, Bart was okay with anything Jaime would give him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S/O to my El Salvadorian friend for translating the Spanish. If anything is off from Jaime's Mexican dialect, please let me know.
> 
> Translations:  
> Buenos días, mi’jito: Good morning, honey.  
> Voy a ir a la biblioteca a tutoriar a este chico de mi escuela: I'm gonna go to the library to tutor a kid from my school.  
> Hola, ¿Como te llamas?: Hello, what's your name?  
> Buenas tardes, me llamo Bart: Good afternoon, my name's Bart.
> 
> Also my tumblr is: http://noir-wing.tumblr.com/ (I have like 6 more with different content so lemme know if you want one of those. Also, feel free to msg me on tumblr)


	3. Sinvergüenza

April was halfway through and Jaime was annoyed… at how well everything was going. His grades were doing great, he was on track to graduate, and he’d already heard back from a few colleges. Most of all, tutoring with Bart was going great and it was actually fun. It’s just…Bart Allen was not supposed to be this damn _perfect_. Bart Allen was supposed to be the spoiled popular boy who was totally an attention whore. Bart Allen wasn’t supposed to be… **_cute_**. He’d talk too fast, even in Spanish. He’d run all the way to the library for their tutoring sessions, even skipping track hangouts to make it. They were only supposed to tutor on Mondays, Fridays, and weekends originally. Now, they had expanded that to after Bart’s track practices on Wednesdays. Jaime couldn’t say no when Bart had asked. He’d just seemed so hopeful. Besides, he needed all the help he could get. There was also the fact that Bart would smile and Jaime would feel like he’d accomplished something for making those green eyes squint and glow that special way. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He wasn’t supposed to _like_ Bart Allen (as a friend; just as a friend).

Jaime sighed, flipping through his borrowed _Midnighter and Apollo_ comic his best friend Tye had given to him. “It’s really good and I think you can relate,” Tye told him last month. Jaime had barely even started the book in that much time. It just seemed so boring and he was busy with school. If Jaime was going to read anything, it’d probably be _The Flash_ comics he’d adored so much. Jaime sighed and looked up at the clock. It was 5pm already. Bart was going to come to his house today after track practice. After sitting around after school for 2 hours, Jaime really didn’t wanna go to the library so he’d just started inviting Bart over on Wednesdays.

The doorbell rang and Jaime jumped up. “Mierda,” he swore. Bart was faster than usual. Jaime was just in grey sweats; his black tank top discarded on the bed. Bart rang the doorbell again three times. _Maldito impaciente pedaso de mierda._ “I’ll get it,” Milagro shouted. ‘ _Oh hell no_ ’, Jaime thought, grabbing his shirt, sprinting out his bedroom, and running down the stairs. He skidded to a stop, hearing Milagro huff from the stairs, “No fair!” Jaime stuck his tongue out at her and turned to open the door. “Hey Bar—t” he had to remember to add the ’t’ at the end because he was shocked at Bart’s appearance. In the past week, Bart had dressed really nicely for their tutoring sessions. Their first few sessions featured Bart in loose basketball shorts and hoodies. Now, Bart was wearing skinny jeans and combat boots to their meeting almost always. It was a nice look on him. Jaime had to admit he stared a bit too long at Bart’s collar bones peeking through a baggy sweater.

Meanwhile, Bart was having a mental breakdown. Jaime Reyes was in front of him fucking shirtless. His sweat pants rested below his hipbones, showcasing a really damn nice v-line. On top of that, the dude had abs. Like, nice abs. Like, nicer abs than most guys on the track team had which was surprising because Bart didn’t even know Jaime worked out. Their slight age difference was suddenly more prominent as Bart viewed how much more developed Jaime’s body was compared to his own. Bart suddenly became self aware. Jaime was in sweatpants, boxer band showing, without a shirt on, and Bart was nicely clothed. Shit. Fucking Cassie. Bart was way too overdressed compared to Jaime’s casual home clothes. This was crossing a line. It was one thing to make Jaime physically attracted to him, and another to be so damn obvious. Bart felt totally moded.

They both stared at each other, thoughts rushing through their heads, as they stood in the doorway. “Mom, Jaime’s friend is here. Can we order pizza?” Milagro yelled from upstairs.  
“Your friend’s here and you didn’t even tell me?” Mrs. Reyes called out as she made her way from the living room towards Jaime and Bart. Jaime shook out of his daze and closed the door behind Bart.

“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Jaime’s mom,” she said kindly.

“Uh, nice to meet you too, Mrs. Reyes. I’m Bart. Muchas gracias por dejarme venir a su casa muy tarde,” Bart knitted his brows, wondering if he’d said that right.

“No problem. Hablas español?!”

“Sí, un poco.”

“O muy bien, mi’jito,” she said proudly as she turned to Jaime, disappointment filling her face when she saw her shirtless son. Suddenly, nice and polite Mrs. Reyes was replaced with an angry Hispanic mom.“Tus amigos se visten tan bien y tu aqui sin camisa, sinvergüenza,” she berated Jaime, smacking him on the back of the head.

“Ow! Ay ma, solo estaba contestando la puerta. Ya me la pongo, si?”

“Whatever,” Mrs. Reyes replied, turning around and walking back to the living room. “Jaime, order pizza. Estoy viendo mi novela.”

Jaime sighed, “Mom and her Spanish dramas.”

“Oh is she watching the one where—“

“Not you too! Honestly, esé, not what I meant when I said watch Spanish movies and shows.”

Bart flushed with embarrassment. “I can’t help it! They’re really good.”

“Fucking chick shows,” Jaime muttered, pulling his tank top on.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Bart challenged.

“What?”

“Nothing wrong with chick shows,” Bart looked straight at Jaime, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, of course not. I’m just joking around,” Jaime replied awkwardly.

Bart took a deep breath before rushing, “The random feminization of objects in order to portray how they are of lesser value than things that don’t require a feminine preface does a disservice to both women and the men who enjoy those objects too, effectively insulting a vast majority of the human population with a single word.” *****

Jaime paused, taking a moment to process Bart’s speech. “Hmmm… that is true, actually,” he said thoughtfully, “Never knew you could be so smart,” he laughed, elbowing Bart and heading upstairs.

God bless Cassie for taking Social Justice and ranting about it to Bart all the time. It had helped him come to terms with his own femininity and sexuality, as well as give him courage to say something to people like Jaime who were unaware. He sighed and walked up the stairs towards Jaime’s room.

Jaime’s room consisted of blue walls and layered superhero posters. He had one or two Star Wars and Doctor Who posters up as well. The bedding was plain black with a faint grey design. His bookshelf had neatly stacked comic books that were overflowing. The thing that stood out to Bart the most, though, was the _Midnighter and Apollo_ comic that lay on Jaime’s bed. _Oh_. Did Jaime even know that that comic in particular starred a gay couple? Not that it’d mean Jaime was gay or bi, but it would mean that he was okay with it. At least Bart’s crush could be recognized and he wouldn’t be insulted for it. ‘ _I’ll just ask him about it_ ,’ Bart thought.

“Hey, you’re reading Midnighter and Apollo?”

Jaime looked up from Bart’s Spanish homework. “Oh, yeah. My friend Tye gave it to me but I’ve barely read it.”

“What do you think so far?”

“It’s okay. Midnighter seems cool, but Apollo hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Oh. Crash. It’s really good, just so you know,” Bart said, disappointed.

Jaime nodded, facing down to Bart’s homework again and chewing on his pen. “This part right here is worded weirdly. It’s not incorrect, but it’s not how people talk.”

“Oh, where?” Bart asked, standing behind Jaime and leaning over his shoulder.

“This sentence, esé, it’s not—“ Jaime was cut off as he turned to face Bart and noticed how close their faces were. “Uhm,” was all Jaime said before scooting away, eyebrows furrowed. He cleared his throat, “It’s too formal.”

‘ _That was weird_ ,’ Jaime thought after Bart walked away with the sheet to fix his mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * this is a direct quote from a destiel fanfic I read a long time ago and don't remember the name of
> 
> Translations:  
> Maldito impaciente pedaso de mierda: Fucking impatient piece of shit  
> Muchas gracias por dejarme venir a su casa muy tarde: Thanks for letting me come to your house so late  
> Hablas español?: (Do) you speak Spanish?  
> Sí, un poco: Yes, a bit  
> O muy bien, mi’jito: Oh good job, sweetie (@ Jaime)  
> Tus amigos se visten tan bien y tu aqui sin camisa, sinvergüenza: Your friend's dressed so nicely and then there's you, shirtless. Shameless. (Sinvergüenza can be translated as scoundrel or bastard I guess too. It's an insult.)  
> Ay ma, solo estaba contestando la puerta. Ya me la pongo, si?: Mom, I was just answering the door. I'll put my shirt on, okay?  
> Estoy viendo mi novela: I'm watching my show (Spanish drama).
> 
> Really excited for the Midnighter and Apollo reboot which is why I added it in.
> 
> My tumblr: http://noir-wing.tumblr.com/


	4. Midnighter and Apollo

The next day was a Thursday, meaning Jaime had work. He worked as a waiter at a popular diner in town known for their burgers. The after school rush wasn’t too bad. Most kids would rather grab a $2 burger from McDonald's than spend $7 at the diner. However, some couples lingered around the place, sipping from milkshakes with two straws and giggling. It made Jaime sick. He hated PDA and couldn’t imagine why someone would want to do such things in public. He was cleaning tables when he heard the bell ring and two boys entered. “Hey there, table for two?” Megan’s peppy voice sounded from the front desk.

“You bet,” a gruff voice answered in reply. The guy was tall, wearing a brown leather jacket and dark jeans. The front lick of his hair was dyed white and he had a jawline that could kill. Accompanying him was a shorter guy with longer black hair and icy blue eyes. They were probably friends. Most pairs of guys that came in, came to gossip about their girlfriends in hushed voices. At least Jaime wouldn’t have to be too attentive and they would appreciate it.

He finished cleaning and walked over to the table the guys were seated at, pulling out his notepad. “Hi, are you ready to order?”

The two looked up at him and the shorter replied, “Two cola’s; no ice. And…” he looked at the other, unsure.

“A nacho plate,” the white haired guy said.

“Okay, coming right up,” Jaime said, checking with one or two other tables before heading towards the kitchen. One table had a couple kissing away without a care in world and Jaime gagged a bit while passing by. Thank god most people in his section were done eating and he only had to deal with those two guys.

Jaime grabbed the drinks and food, walking back to the table, only to stop midway when he noticed that the guys were now both sitting on the same side of the booth. _Okay_. He got closer, eyes widening when he realized the white haired guy had his face buried in the other’s neck. He heard a groan and a, “Jason, stop.” Jaime almost dropped the food. He stood awkwardly, wondering whether to leave or not, when the blue eyed one met his gaze. He pushed ‘Jason’ off and blushed excessively. Jaime set their food down and attempted a smile, before walking away.

“Jay, you really couldn’t wait?”

“I never can when it comes to you, babybird.”

Jaime almost threw up in his mouth at the sound of that. Straight couples were bad enough, but gay couples? _Really_? All he wanted was casual costumers and of course that never happened to him. He expected two dudes just chilling and the next thing he knew, one was giving the other hickies. _Great_.

Jason and Tim left as the dinner rush began. Jaime only knew their names because he might have eavesdropped since he had nothing better to do. They walked out with Jason grinning, his arm wrapped around Tim’s shoulder. At least they tipped well.

 

Jaime rode the bus home, awfully aware of his situation. He was about to graduate and he still hadn’t dated or lost his virginity. April was almost over and all he’d ever done romantically was kiss a girl behind church for a dare when he was thirteen. Maybe he could add Traci on Facebook and ask her out? Jaime shook the idea off. He’d barely even known the girl when he was younger, let alone now.

Jaime was the only one of his friends without relationship experience and yet, he was the one who wanted it the most. He couldn’t even keep track of the countless time he’d looked at himself in the mirror and questioned his flaws. Why couldn’t he be better? Why couldn’t he be like… Bart Allen, for example? Bart had flowing auburn hair and bright green eyes. His smile could brighten up a room and everyone adored the kid. Jaime couldn’t even bring himself to hate him anymore after tutoring Bart. The Latino sighed as he got off the bus. Why was he so messed up?

 

Jaime dropped himself onto his bed, wiggling his toes, hoping the ache of his after-work-feet would leave him. He closed him eyes, drowsiness almost taking him over, before he noticed something elevating his back. He moved, hearing the crinkle of paper. His fingers pulled out his _Midnighter and Apollo_ comic and he stared at it. Didn’t Bart say it was good? Tye also approved the book and it was about time Jaime gave it back to him. With that in mind, Jaime rolled onto his stomach and began reading where he left off.

Tye Longshadow awoke at 3am to a phone call, of all fucking things. He rolled over and groggily answered, “Hello?”

“Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?”

“What do you mean, Jaime?”

“You didn’t tell me these guys were gonna turn out to be gay Superman and Batman.”

“Oh, that.”

“Yeah, _that_ ,” Jaime snarkily replied as he paced in his room. “‘I think you can relate’, my ass. What the hell, esé?!”

“Look, can we not have this conversation at 3am. I thought you knew about yourself already,” Tye said tiredly, staring at his clock.

“What do you mean?”

“Jaime, I’ve known you since we were little and I can confirm that you’re not as straight as you think you are.”

Jaime was quiet for a while. “I… uhm… Look, it’s not like I care or anything. You’re gay? Great. Do what you want. But me? I… I haven’t really… it’s not like I think about these things, man. I know I like girls, so there, I’m fine,” Jaime stuttered his way through his reply. Tye could hear the uncertainty in his voice. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. The book was good. I’ll give it back to you tomorrow at school. Bye,” Jaime hung up after those last choppy replies and Tye sighed in disappointment. He’d first noticed in 9th grade that Jaime’s eyes would linger too long on both boys and girls. Especially in the locker room, Jaime would practically be drooling over some guys. How the heck could Jaime Reyes not see that he was obviously bisexual? Tye shrugged, not particularly caring as he rolled over and fell asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made this chapter Jaime-centric because I wanted to point out that he is unaware of his attraction to Bart because he is unaware of his sexuality/ hasn't come to terms with it yet. He literally only sees Bart as a friend so far.
> 
> (If you haven't noticed, I also ship JayTim a lot so I had to add it lol)
> 
> My tumblr: noir-wing.tumblr.com


	5. I like him a lot

The last day of April featured Bart’s track team racing against another school’s. The heat of competition ate away at them all, pushing them to run faster. Bart, as team captain, was especially nervous. He was lucky to be here. He was almost passing Spanish now, thanks to Jaime. Just 2% short and god bless Ms. Martinez for lying and saying he was passing, because he wouldn’t be here right now without that.

Bart was up to run next. He was known to be the team’s speedster. No one could defeat the flash of speed that was Bart Allen. He glanced up to see his family cheering for him in the audience. The Garricks, the Allens, Wally, and Wally’s girlfriend Artemis, were all screaming his name. _Suave, guys_. The gunshot rang through the air and Bart bolted off. He noticed no one next to him. Did they all even start running yet? Did Bart just imagine the gunshot? He turned around to see the next runner about 2 metres behind him. _Crash_. This was gonna be a piece of cake.

Bart sped through the three laps and made a show of slowly walking the last few metres, just for laughs. The next runner was only halfway through his third lap when Bart finished. Everyone cheered for Bart. The whole team and his family enveloped him and Bart’s eyes grinned, before he was overcome will loneliness. The only person he wished was here in this moment was Jaime, and he was no where to be seen.

 

Bart exited the locker room, ready to go out for food with the team, before Cassie intercepted him. “Move, Kon’s waiting for me. He’s gonna drive me.”

“Bart, don’t give me that. I saw the look on your face when you won. What the hell was that about?”

“Nothing, okay?”

“It’s the guy again, isn’t it?”

Bart was silent.

“Oh shit, it’s worse than I thought.”

“What is?” Bart snapped, attempting to get around Cassie.

She boxed him in. “You actually really like him now, don’t you? It’s not just physical anymore?”

“Cass, drop it.”

“No,” Cassie stated firmly, holding Bart in place. No one fucked with Cassie when she used her mom voice. “Tell me.”

Bart sighed and angrily said, “Fine. You wanna know what’s up? I like him. A lot. It’s only been a month but I swear I melt a little when he speaks Spanish and he’s so nice to everyone. Did you know he even likes bugs? Of all fucking things, bugs?! He found a beetle on the window sill of the library when he was tutoring me and I screamed and almost killed it and then guess what he did? He calmly picked it up, opened the window, and let it go outside. Who does that, Cassie? No one from our crowd.”

Cassie’s eyebrows furrowed, “So, why don't you ask him out? Make him your boyfriend.”

“Because he’s fucking straight,” Bart’s voice cracked.

Cassie’s eyes widened. “Oh, poor gay baby,” she murmured before she leaned in to hug him. “How do you know that?”

“He acts weird when I sit too close to him, and he— he—“ Bart cut off with a slight sob.

“He doesn’t seem interested?” Cassie supplied.

“Yeah,” Bart’s voice cracked and he clung to Cassie.

“Don’t worry, it’ll work out,” Cassie calmly soothed, a plan brewing in her mind. Bart was obviously being overdramatic. No guy in his right mind could turn down Bart Allen.

 

Cassie held Bart’s hand in the back seat of Conner’s car on their way to dinner.

“Dude, you ran great out there,” Kon applauded.

“Yeah, man, they didn’t stand a chance,” Roy piped in from the passenger’s seat.

Bart grinned, reminded of his victory. “Thanks guys.” The radio played some of Roy’s classic rock songs and they all pelted out Bohemian Rhapsody with overly deep voices. Bart flowed into his everyday life easily and forgot about Jaime for that moment.

 

They arrived at the one of the best diner’s in town known for their burgers. The team usually ate here after games when they won. They walked in to be greeted by Megan, Bart’s friend from choir. “Hello, Megan,” he laughed, quoting the girl’s favourite catchphrase. “Oh, hey Bart! Hey…Conner,” she muttered, blushing and fumbling with their menus. “Table for 18?”

“Yeup,” Cassie replied.

The team laughed loudly at the huge back table of the restaurant. The transfer students La’gaan and Kaldur’ahm were having a drinking competition, gulping down beers as everyone underaged cheered around them. Megan had taken their orders, as she was already familiar with what most of them wanted. What Bart didn’t expect was the guy who brought their food out.

“Jaime?!”

“ _Dios mio_ , hey Bart,” his crush replied, surprised, as he was handing out everyone’s food.

“I’m guessing you work here,” Bart said.

“Yeah, uh, listen, I’ll talk to you later, okay? The diner’s busy right now,” Jaime rushed away.

Bart stared at Jaime’s back in confusion. What was that about?

“You know him?” Roy asked.

“Yeah, he’s my Spanish tutor…” Bart trailed off, unsure due to Jaime’s anxious behaviour.

 

Jaime couldn’t breathe as he stood in the back room, the last month crashing down on him. Why the fuck did he think Bart Allen and him could be friends? Bart Allen had so many friends. He knew almost everyone at school. Why would he want to be friends with Jaime, of all people? Serving the track team had brought Jaime’s head out of the clouds. Bart was just using him. Bart needed a good mark in Spanish and he was just acting nice. _Jaime was a loser. Jaime was an unknown, a drifter, and a nobody; which is why he and Bart could never be. Bart had accomplished what Jaime had only dreamed of as a freshman. Bart was the guy everyone knew in only two short years. Jaime had had four years and he still couldn’t accomplish such a simple thing. Jaime resented Bart for his popularity. Bart was everything Jaime wanted to be, but never was._ That was the way things had always been, and always would be. Bart and Jaime were from two different islands. Water could pass the two, whispering messages, but the two could never join together before the world. The two would have to remain where they were. Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bart officially likes Jaime aye lmao  
> But Jaime can't even process being friends with Bart :(  
> I tried to tie in this chapter to the beginning. The italicized portion in the end is directly quoted from chapter 1.
> 
> My tumblr: noir-wing.tumblr.com


	6. For you, I would

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's short, but it finally feels right

Bart smacked his head repetitively on his keyboard, hating himself. Why had he fallen for someone so easily?

“Easy there, sport,” Jay called from the side.

“Yeah, I bought that for you to game with, not abuse yourself with,” Wally quipped, snuggled up with Artemis on the sofa.

Bart groaned, “I think I’m in love.”

“What?!” The Garricks and the Allens exclaimed at once.

“It’s the Spanish tutor isn’t it?” Artemis asked.

Bart whipped around, “How did you know?!”

Artemis shrugged, “You always dress up and ask me for fashion tips when you’re going to tutoring. I just put two and two together.” Bart flushed, embarrassed that Arty had figured him out so easily.

“So, you really like this boy?” Barry asked from the kitchen table.

“I mean, I guess,” Bart muttered.

“That’s a little quick, don't you think, sweetie? It’s only been a month,” Iris piped in.

“That’s why I’m so annoyed,” Bart groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

“Well, I mean, there’s no harm in trying.” Everyone looked at Wally in surprise when he spoke up.

“Wait. We had a hate-love thing for months before you finally fessed up and kissed me on New Year’s, and now you’re totally okay with him just going for it?” Artemis berated her boyfriend.

Wally raised his hands up in defence. “Woah babe, hey, I’m just saying that it’s cool if Bart wants to date. I started going out when I was his age.”

“Yeah, you’re also you,” she snapped.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

 

As the couple was arguing as usual, Bart’s phone rang with Cassie’s caller ID showing up. He stepped outside to answer the phone.

“How's the love bug treating you?"

Bart sighed, "I told the family. They think it's too fast but they're okay with it."

“That's good.”

“Yeah…” Bart paused, before deciding to get everything out of his system. “You know, it feels like we’re the exact same person, yet complete opposites. We like the same things, but he always hides his comics and video games, whereas I don’t care who knows. I get along with lots of people, and even though Jaime’s so genuinely nice, he barely knows anyone. He hasn’t dated anyone, and I'm assuming hasn't had sex because he mentioned he’s a commitment man. I, on the other hand, have done both. It’s like… I’m sure we would work out, but our entire relationship would be a battlefield. We’d constantly have to try to understand one another.”

“If you truly like him as much as you say you do, I’d bet you’d be willing to make that sacrifice.”

“I would, but I think I should give this some time. Everything's happening so fast and I feel like he knows everything about me but I barely know him."

Cassie hummed, "Agreed. Wait it out, but still be flirty. You may still be able to get him to like you back.”

“That honestly just feels like wishful thinking,” Bart sighed, spacing out at Cassie’s next switch of topics. He looked up at the sky longingly, wishing for love.

 

To say Jaime was avoiding Bart would be an overstatement. He knew in his mind that the kid had so many worthwhile people to talk to, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to stop tutoring Bart. He did, however, not reply to texts as often and stopped sending memes. _Yeah_ , Jaime thought to himself miserably, _I’m totally doing a great job at avoiding him_. He groaned while laying on Tye’s bed, the early May sunshine dripping in through the blinds.

“Stop being annoying,” Tye complained, “You’re here to get help studying for your drivers, not complain about your crush.”

Jaime shot the fuck up off the bed, “WHAT?!”

Tye rolled his eyes. “Teasing,” he turned around before muttering, “Not.”

Jaime raised a thick brow, “Dude. This guy doesn’t even want to be friends with me.”

“How do you know that?”

“People like Bart… they—” Jaime looked down, catching his breath. “They’re the kind of people who have so many friends, they don’t care as much. Their friends are disposable because they’ll always have someone to talk to. I, on the other hand, am not popular, dude. I have you and a couple of gaming friends, that’s it. I can’t handle just being Bart’s follower and _sometimes_ friend. He knows cooler people than me anyways.”

“Jaime, I get where you’re coming from, but you’re also kind of an idiot,” Tye stated.

“How so?” Jaime glared, annoyed as his emotions being tossed aside.

“You’ve always wanted to be the popular kid since freshman year, but you still push people away. You constantly think you’re not good enough or that people don’t like you. You never put yourself out there. And you know what? That’s fine. You can be an introvert, but you always complain about that too. If you’re not happy with how things are now, you need to become the person you want to be.”

Jaime nodded thoughtfully. He understood himself as a character, and therefore knew that what Tye was asking of him was not in his nature. But, for Bart, he would try. Bart Allen was fire storming across an ocean, and goddamn Jaime Reyes if he tried to put out those vivid flames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for the comments  
> they keep me going  
> I met someone this summer  
> that's why I haven't updated  
> but I learned from my mistakes  
> and those will help this story and others
> 
> My tumblr: noir-wing.tumblr.com


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